In 1959, Alaska became the 49th US state, Hawaii became the 50th US state, we saw the launch of the first plain paper copier, and the Soviet Union’s Luna 2 spacecraft became the first to impact the Moon’s surface.
Also that year, a student named Dave Miley graduated from Englewood High School.
“I went to CSU, and I went through the ROTC program. My goal was to go to the Air Force, go to flight school, and be a pilot. And so I graduated high school in 59′ I worked for a year, and in 60 I moved up to Fort Collins and went through the ROTC program, and that’s how I got my commission.”
During that time, the United States became involved in the Vietnam War. Soldiers in the Army were drafted, Miley and fellow Air Force officers volunteered, “They didn’t have to draft. They had enough volunteers to support their mission.”
“I was in Vietnam in 1970 from January of 70′ to January 71′,” Miley said, “Over 56,000 veterans sacrificed their lives in the Vietnam War.”
Miley left behind a young family, “I was married, and I had a three-year-old and a five-year-old, and my wife had to take care of the kids for a year.”
His year spent in Vietnam was as the aircraft maintenance officer of F100 aircraft, “It was a supersonic fighter jet that was old by the time I got to Vietnam, but it served its purpose. We were what they call ground air support. If there were troops on the ground in trouble, they called us, and we responded.”
He was charged with the maintenance of 20 F100s, “and I had 85 enlisted mechanics that worked for me. It was our job to keep those aircraft in shape. We supported over 5,800 missions in a 12-month period of time, for which I received the Bronze Star,” Miley said.
Life in Vietnam, Miley said, could be comfortable. They lived in barracks, played softball and they had a theater. In addition, they had a church on site. They always had to be cautious of their surroundings, “It was pretty comfortable with the exception of the enemy firing grenades and into the base. We lost two people while I was there from rockets and mortar shells being launched into the base.”
His service is something that will always stick with him, “Because there is no more satisfaction than to serve your country. It is something that will always be with you, and no one can take it away.”
Miley still lives in the Englewood community.
